1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to offset printing machines and, more particularly, to drives and driving processes for cylinders and functional groups of offset printing machines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Patent No. DE 42 19 969 A1 describes an offset printing machine having a longitudinal shaft which is driven by one or more electric motors. Drive shafts, which are used to drive the printing units, unwinders, folder units and functional groups, e.g., feeding and transfer rollers, forming rollers, cutting rollers, and cooling mechanisms, in such printing machines branch off from the longitudinal shaft via gears and couplings. The gears usually contain further couplings and gearwheels. These drives are therefore technically complex and expensive.